Tapping-machine.



PATEN'IBD FEB. 27, 1906.

H. KOESTER.

TAPPING MACHINE. APPLIOTTION FILED Mmm, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

v ZY/2062.320172 PATBNTED FEB. 27, 1906.

H'. KOESTER. K TAPPING MACHINE. PLIOTION FILED MB.2, 1903.

4 SHEETS-#SHEET 2.-

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PATENTED PEB; 1; woe

H. KOESTER.

TAPPING MACHINE.

PATENTE@ Fria L KOESTER.

TAPNG MAUHINF AEPLIUATIOE FILED MAR.

.rtl lill.

11|" lil UNIIIEI') STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY KOESTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CRANE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TAPPING-MACHIN'E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27. 1906.

Application led March 2,1903. Serial No. 145,856. I

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tapping-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for cutting the female threads in nuts, pipe couplings, and other like articles, and it is designed particularly to provide a machine for continuously cutting the threads in a series of such articles as they are fed continuously into the machine from a feeding device, and which automatically ejects the articles from the machine when the threads are finished. The objects of my invention are;

'lo construct a machine of the character described which is compact and accurate in its working parts, easy of manipulation andv rapid in its action;

To provide for semi-automatic feeding of the articles into the machineand automatic holding and carrying of the same in position to be tapped;

To provide a machine with automatic resilient gripping devices and easily removable tapping tool;

'lo provide a machine in which a straight tapping tool is used,'preferably held in vertical position by the alternate gripping of a series of ,supporting devices arranged to allow the finished article to pass through them and be discharged from the machine;

To provide a machine which allows of readily changing the tool, and y:if-easy adjustment of the gripping dcvicesto accord with' the size o'f the tool and of the article to be tapped, and self adaptable to` an irregularities in the size or form of the artic es being operated upon;

'lo provide a machine inwhich the opera* tion of the tapping tool upon the article will itself convey the latter through the machine and operate to introduce. a fresh article to the action of the tool; and

To provide a machine of the kind which may be readily-opened for inspection and is easily and accurately adjustable in all its parts.

The above objects, as wellas othei` advantages which will hereinafter appear, I attain' byineans of the construction and operation illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 isa side elevation of the ,whole machine.

Figure 2 is acentral vertical section through the upper part of the machine and showing a series of pipe couplings being tapped in the same, the section taken on line 2 of Fig-l vure 3.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the ma chine taken on' line Bof Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the shafts and the box supporting the holding devices for the tapping tool, taken on the line 4 in Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a lan and a horizontal section taken through t e holding device for the tapping tool, along the line 5 in Figure 4.

The machine of my present inventionis especially designed to out the inside threads of pipe couplings or other articles which have a- 'rounded outside surface; but it is equally adapted to the cutting of threads in square or hexagonal-nuts, etc., by changing the contour of the recessed faces of the gripping devices. j In cutting pi e coupling threads it is highly desirable to lieve a gripping device which will not only hold the same from turning during the operation, and carry the same through the machine,-but also is at the same time capable of yielding to accommodate couplings of different sizes and couplings have ing irregularities on their outer surfaces. It is also desirable to have the article held yieldingly in the gripping devices so -as to allow of some lateral play of the article in order that the tapping tool may accommodate itself to thetrue center of the tubular opening in the article. For these reasons I have provided a peculiar gripping and carrying device which is yieldmgly held against the pipe couplings and which is itself actuated a horizontal arm 9, which carries the shaft of 9.5 y the progress of the cou lings downward l IOO the feeding wheel 11, designed to introduce l the pipe cou lings to the operation of the tapping tool. lhis feeding wheel has a series of projecting arms 12,v upon which the coupling-s 14, may be placed by hand, whereupon they are turned over and dropped ofi' i nto the hopper 13, supported by a pail" of downwardly extending arms 10, projecting from the 'arm 9 ofthe frame of the machine.

The frame 6 of the machine has alsol a laterally extending bracket 1S, which carries the shaft 20, of the driving pulley 19, by which the whole machinefis operated. The shaft is provided with a worm screw 21, and also with a miter gear 22, 'which engages the large gear wheel 26, to turn the table and housing in which are mounted the gripping and carrying devices surrounding the tapping tool. Below the worm 21 and mounted upon wheel 23, which on its outer end carries a sprocket wheel 24, driving the chain 16 to turn the feeding wheel 1,1, as'before described. In. order to operate the gears of the tap-hold ing devices land means for ejecting the iinished articles.. i mount another sprocket wheel upon tia-3'. same' shaft with the gear 23, which by means of the chain 25, drives the large sprocket wheel 46, as will be hereafter described.

Un top of the frame 6 and resting upon a bearing lor its hub 43, is thelarge gear wheel 26, upon which are four studs 28, supporting shafts 31, and on these shafts are pivoted the two halves oi an vupright frame or boxing 27 which surrounds the ta ping tool and carries the gripping devices. .n order to carry thecouplings 14 downwardover the tapping tool 3 5 41, V[,provide in the housing 27 two pairs oi' shafts carrying the rollers and 33, over` In order to keep the gripping blocksl35 in' close contact with the couphng between them l'provide that they bear upon a series of rollthe tappingtoo ln an open slot in the sides of the housing 27 there is a series Iof loosev blocks 38, each of which carries the spindle 37` of' a roller 36, and the said blocks are pressed inward by means of spiral springs 39,

'. which are adjusted in tension by means ot 'the screws 40, set in the edges ofthe housing1I` Y.27] as is clear-from Figures 2 and 'As .shown in Figure 1, the two sidesof the housy6o ing 27 are pivoted upon the shafts-31y and maybe rocked apart when the fastening de-` vice 29, 30, shown, at the top of the figure, is.loosened, which readily allows of inspection of the inside of the carriers, or removal of the tapping tool.,l Y

a horizontal shalt in the frame 18, is a gear ers whi'cl'i are sring pressed inward toward- It will be understood that the gear 26 upon which are pivoted the parts of the housing 27, revolve altogether and carries the gripping devices, and the pressure rollers about the stationary tapping tool. It will however re uire no essential reorganization of the machine if this housing 27 be stationary and the tapping tool he revolved. The tapping head 41, is carried, on top of the shank 42, which is made square or otherwise angular in crosssection and extends downward through an opening in the hub 43 of the gearing 26. It is sup orted alternately by the pair `of clamping w eels 52, 53, and a pair 54, 55, which, as will be seen from Figure 5, project from the sides of the housing 44, below the large gear 26. These supporting wheels have their .peripheries grooved and are so placed asto lit" upon the reduced portion 58, of the rod 42, supporting the tapping head; and it will be seen from Figure 2 that each pair of clamping wheels is partially cut away so that,'in the position shown for the upper pair in Figure 2, the wheels are out of contact with the supportingsha'nk 42, and leave room for 9o the article 14 to descend and fall upon the lower pair of wheels, which in the meanwhile are in contact with the shank 42.

Whenthe wheels continue their motion so as to bring the lower pair in the present posi- 9 5 tion of the upper pair, (Fig. 2), the'article will be dropped out, and in the meanwhile the upper pair will be in enga lement with the shank 42. The two pairs o holding wheels 52, 53, and 54,55, are driven by the gears 48, roo 49, fromA the pinion 47, on the shaft 45,which carries the sprocket wheel 46, heretofore described. Thus the upper and lower pairs of holding wheels alternately engage the spindle 42 and retain it against both vertical 105 movement and turning, while the alternation of thecontact of the two pairs of wheels allows the article 14 to pass throughfthesame y and drop ofi o'l' the shank ofthe tool and out oi: the machine. .r 1o

In order to vallow of ready removal of the tapping tool l provide that the spindles of the wheels 53 and 55 4are carried in a block 60, and work through o en slots 69, in the sides e of the housing 40 t lis block also hase shaft r r 5 61, upon which is pivoted the link 62, c'onnected by means of a turnbuckle 63, to the screw 64. The head 65, of the link is pivoted to the short arm of bell crank lever 68,the pivot 66 of lwhich is carried in a bracket 67, 12o on the outside of the frame 6. By this means the link may be Withdrawn, and by moving back the block 60, will release the holding wheel from contact with the tool shank and allowy the latter to be withdrawn, 125 in order to repair or to replace with one ol different size or shape, as may be desiredgt From the above.description the operation' of the machine will be apparent.v 'l-he arti`` cles to be tapped being placed upon the arms |30 of the feeding wheel 11 and carried thereby under the shield shown in Fig. 1, and dropped into the hopper 13, fall down in proper osition between thea preaching ripping b ocks 35, and are thereiiy carried the ta (ping tool 41 injregular order. They are he under compression and prevented from rotation'by the force of the springs 39, as before described, and since these latter have a yielding hold upon each of the articles, they can make allowance for irregularities in the 'size or form of the different articles, aswell as bein readily adaptable'to couplings or nuts of ifferent sizes. The ar'-A ticles are continuously carriedgdown between the grip ing devices and over the tapping tool, an at the bottom of the carriers they vare dro ped upon theV wheels 54,- 55', are

remove thereby to the lower set of wheels, and by these latter'ejected from the machine. The entire o eration is continuous and is automatic wit the exception of the placing of the couplings in the machine. Ihough I have illustrated a form of feeding mechanism, it will be understood that this is not an essential part of the linvention, and any other desired method' may be used for introducing the articles to the gripping and carrying device. By opening the pairof jaws carrying these gripping devices it is easy toA remove them for repairs or to inspect the interior of the machine, and. by mere shifting of the bell crank lever 68, the tapping tool may be removed for grinding or repair, or cxcbange. Various other advantages of the machine will readily occur to those familiar with the art.

llaving thus described my invention, what l elaiin,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. A tapping machine having a stationary tapping tool, revolving means for gripping and carrying articles to be tapped along said tool, and rotary sectors adapted for alternately engaging and holding the tool and ejecting the finished article. from the tool.

2. A tapping machine. having a stationary tapping tool, continuous traveling mechanism for gripping and feeding the articles along the tool, and separate pairs oi' rotary sectors adapted for automatically holding the tool alternately at different points and for ejccting the finished article from thc tool.

3. ln a tapping machine in combination with a stationary tapping tool, a set of gripping and carrying-blocks for engaging the articles operated upon, the same being pivoted together in a chain and being provided with means for pressing them resiliently against the article, and mounted to be driven by the, motion of tlienrl iele as it travels over-the tapping tool, and means torevolve said carriers about the tool.

4. The combination of a resiliently mountown ward over -ed chain of traveling gripping andcarrying blocks,positive driving means for said chain, a stationary tapping tool and means for revolving'the blocks about the tool and for automatically discharging the finished article from the tapping tool.

5. In a tapping machine the combination with mechanism for revolving the articles to be operated upon, a stationary tapping tool, a pair of revoluble partially cut out rollers for alternatelygrip ingthc tool at different points of its lengti, and adapted to positively ejectbetween them the finished article from the ta ping tool. A

6. The comiimation with a tapping tool having a shank ofangular cross section, of two pairs of wheels grooved and Aartially cut away to alternatel f hold the too and release and eject articles eing operated upon from the tool.

7. In a tapping machine in combination with a stationarytapping'tool, two pairs of revolving sectors having roovcd -partial circumferences adaptcd'to' old the same alternately at different points of the shank and to positively eject articles from the tool.

8. In a tapping machine. the combination with a tapping tool-of two pairs oi sectional revolving rollers adapted to alternately grip and .release the tapping tool atdiil'erent points.

9. In a with a stationary tap,a air of revolving pivoted jaws, two sets o gripping devices mounted rcspectivel f upon said pivoted jaws, a revolving table carrying the jaws,

said jaws being adapted to open to release the articles in the gripping devices.

10.- rl`hc combination of a iced wheel, a vertically translating gripping device for thrusting the articles against the tapping tool, means for revolving the grippers, spring pressed rollers for insuring contact of the gri )ping device. a stationary tapping tool and means for holding said tapping tool in position and allowing the ejection of the articles therefrom.

Il. ln a tapping machine the combination with a stationary tool, of two sets of gripping blocks movable along the same and provided with resilient 'supporting means for holdin and carrying an article over its tool, an means to revolve theholding means.A v

12. A tappin r machine comprising the combination witli gri ping devices movable 'relative thereto an provided with spring pressed means for holding the gripping devices against the articles upon the tool.

13.- In a tapping machine, in combination with a stati nary tap, several pairs of gripping wheels to engine said tapping teil, the saine' being provided with peripheries adapted to prevent the tool from turning and tapping machine in combination a tap, of a set of revolvingv with open sections thereon whereby the tool is periodically released from the gripping Wheels. l

14. In a tapping machine the combination with astationary tap having a-shank of angu; lar section, of. several pairs of wheels placed together with angular openings between their peripheries, -andl being-'provided with coperatlng open sections on the Wheels, whereby the tool may be released and space allowed forldischarge of the article from the tapping too A 15. al tapping machine the combination with a tapping tool and a stationarilymounted pair ofv gripping rollers therefor, said grippmg; rollers being partially cut out" on their peripheries and mounted in shift- Witnesses.

able bearings to engage the tool, and 'means for retractin' the bearings together for the 16. In a'tapping machine the combination with a continuous chain of gripping devices,

compression springs adapted to hold the rollers against the. grip ing devices ,and force them in contact wit the articlesbeing operated upon by the machine.

In testimoni whereof I have hereunto set my name -in t epresence of the subscribed e HENRY KOESTER. Witnesses:

PAUL SY'NNESTVEDT, EDWARD C. BURNS.

of a series of blocks provided with rollers and 

